Piper PA-23-250 accident near Ruston, Louisiana, February 11, 1993
On February 11, 1993 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N6290Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ruston, Louisiana (Ruston Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE AT A HYDRAULIC FITTING, WHICH RESULTED IN A HYDRAULIC LEAK, LOSS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID, AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF BRAKING ACTION DURING THE LANDING ROLL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 1993 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Ruston, Louisiana · Ruston Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6290Y · no longer on the register · serial 27-3450
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE LANDING ON A RUNWAY WITH A DISPLACE THRESHOLD, BRAKING ACTION WAS LOST AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRPLANE ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE RAN OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH THREE SMALL TREES, WHICH DAMAGED THE RIGHT WING. AN INSPECTION REVEALED A LEAK IN A BRAKE LINE FITTING HAD ALLOWED THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM TO BE DEPLETED OF FLUID.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 698 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 86 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days; 570 as pilot in command; 271 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,700 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 14, 1992; 89 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mountain Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: BTR Baton Rouge LA at 9:45 pm
- Destination: RSN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16, 2,798 ft by 90 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:49 pm from MLU, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.